3. Human development in Poland
the correlation is generally lower than the correlation for the variables related to the Health Index. The diagrams representing the relationships are presented below. Graph: 3.36 The relation between the average life expectancy and the results of the lower secondary school leaving examination in 2010 by county. 79 R2 = 0.26
78.5
Average life expecntancy
78 77.5 77
76.5 76 75.5 75 74.5 74 73.5 0.8
0.85
0.9
0.95
1
1.05
1.1
1.15
1.2
Lower secondary school exam results
Graph: 3.37 The relation between the average life expectancy and the rate of unemployment in 2010 (%) by county 79 78.5
Average life expencancy
78 77.5 77 76.5 76
75.5 75
R2 = 0.14
74.5 74 73.5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Unemployment rate (in %)
Source: Own study based on the Central Statistical Office data.
A relatively strong correlation between the average life expectancy and the results of the lower secondary school leaving examination has been confirmed as well by earlier studies (Wojtyniak et al. 2011). Such a relationship may be interpreted as a positive influence of the education quality on the awareness of the risks for health and life. It is possible, however, that the examination results reflect a wider phenomenon that draws from the cultural capital and values typical for a given area.
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